--- title: "Year of the Dragon: the Chinese zodiac Dragon" url: https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-zodiac/dragon section: "Culture" type: answer updated: 2026-10-31 next_review: 2027-01-15 status: checked author: "The Popular in China desk" fact_checker: "Alex Liu" publisher: Popular in China (https://popularinchina.com) license: Quote with attribution and a link to https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-zodiac/dragon --- # Year of the Dragon: the Chinese zodiac Dragon _The Dragon is the fifth animal of the Chinese zodiac. Here are all its years with exact start dates, the traits and matches tradition gives it, and what it means in China today._ **Verdict: Year of the Dragon** (属龙) — Fifth of the 12 zodiac animals ## Short answer The Dragon (龙, lóng) is the fifth of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. Dragon years include 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 and 2036, each starting at Lunar New Year. Tradition calls Dragon people confident, ambitious and energetic, and pairs them best with the Monkey and Rat. ## At a glance - **In Chinese:** 龙 (lóng); earthly branch 辰 - **Place in the cycle:** Fifth of 12 - **Recent Dragon years:** 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 - **Next Year of the Dragon:** 2036, from 28 Jan 2036 - **Best matches:** Monkey, Rat, Rooster; clashes with the Dog ## Year of the Dragon: all the years and exact dates Each Year of the Dragon starts at Lunar New Year, so people born in January or early February belong to the previous animal. Check a birth date with our [Chinese zodiac calculator](/tools/chinese-zodiac-calculator). [1] | Year | Element and animal | Starts | Ends | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1952 | Water Dragon (水龙) | 27 Jan 1952 | 13 Feb 1953 | | 1964 | Wood Dragon (木龙) | 13 Feb 1964 | 1 Feb 1965 | | 1976 | Fire Dragon (火龙) | 31 Jan 1976 | 17 Feb 1977 | | 1988 | Earth Dragon (土龙) | 17 Feb 1988 | 5 Feb 1989 | | 2000 | Metal Dragon (金龙) | 5 Feb 2000 | 23 Jan 2001 | | 2012 | Water Dragon (水龙) | 23 Jan 2012 | 9 Feb 2013 | | 2024 | Wood Dragon (木龙) | 10 Feb 2024 | 28 Jan 2025 | ## Dragon personality: traits tradition gives Dragon people Folk tradition says people born in a Dragon year are confident, ambitious and energetic, though sometimes charismatic. The lists differ from source to source, and there is no scientific evidence that birth year shapes personality. Sources: [2][3][4] ## Dragon compatibility: best and worst matches Traditional matching, which some couples in China still take into account, uses three rules. [2][3][5][6] | Rule | Match for the Dragon | Meaning | | --- | --- | --- | | 三合 (sānhé), trio | Monkey and Rat | Animals four years apart; the most harmonious | | 六合 (liùhé), pair | Rooster | A secret friend; a good match | | 六冲 (liùchōng), clash | Dog | Six years apart, opposite on the wheel; traditionally avoided | ## What the Dragon means in Chinese culture The Dragon is the only mythical animal in the zodiac and is considered the luckiest birth sign. It was the emblem of the emperor: five-clawed dragon robes were reserved for emperors under the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Dragons also rule rain and water, so farmers prayed to them for rain. Sources: [7][4] ## Do more babies arrive in Dragon years? Often, yes. In 2024 China recorded 9.54 million births, up from 9.02 million in 2023, the first rise in seven years. Demographer Yuan Xin of the China Population Association credited post-pandemic marriages, the Year of the Dragon and new childbirth support. A Langfang maternity centre reported 30% more bookings, and some couples timed IVF to have a “dragon baby”. The next year, 2025, a Snake year, births fell to 7.92 million. In Singapore, ethnic Chinese births ran about 9.3% higher in Dragon years over 1960–2007, relative to other groups. Sources: [8][9][10][11][12] ## How many babies are born in Dragon years in China? | Dragon year | Births in China | Year before | Year after | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2012 | 16.35 million | 16.04 million (2011) | 16.40 million (2013) | | 2024 | 9.54 million | 9.02 million (2023) | 7.92 million (2025) | Calendar-year births from China’s National Bureau of Statistics, as first published. A zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, so it overlaps two calendar years. > **Note: Born in January or February?** > > Check the date: someone born on 15 Jan 2024 belongs to the Rabbit, not the Dragon, because the Year of the Dragon began on 10 Feb 2024. The [zodiac calculator](/tools/chinese-zodiac-calculator) works it out for any birth date. Sources: [1] ## Questions **What years are the Year of the Dragon?** Recent Dragon years are 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024; the next is 2036, starting on 28 Jan 2036. Each year starts at Lunar New Year, not 1 January. **What is the Dragon compatible with?** Traditionally the Monkey and Rat (its 三合 trio) and the Rooster (its 六合 pair). Its clash animal is the Dog. **Why is the Year of the Dragon lucky?** The dragon was the emperor’s emblem and the bringer of rain, and it stands for power, success and good fortune. Many parents hope for a “dragon baby”, and births in China rose in the 2024 Dragon year. ## Sources 1. [Hong Kong Observatory, Gregorian-Lunar calendar conversion tables, 1901–2100](https://www.weather.gov.hk/en/gts/time/conversion.htm) — accessed 2026-10-31 2. [China Daily, The 12 Chinese zodiac animals and their best matches (2016), part 2](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2016-02/02/content_23356709_2.htm) — accessed 2026-10-31 3. [China Daily, The 12 Chinese zodiac animals and their best matches (2016), part 3](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2016-02/02/content_23356709_3.htm) — accessed 2026-10-31 4. [CGTN, The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac: Dragon (January 2020)](https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-01-16/The-12-animals-of-the-Chinese-Zodiac-Dragon--NfX20zWWfm/index.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 5. [Wikipedia, Chinese zodiac (six harmonies and clashes)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac) — accessed 2026-10-31 6. [Duke Kunshan University, Lingwei Wu (Fudan): zodiac compatibility and marriage matching in China](https://env.dukekunshan.edu.cn/?p=6877) — accessed 2026-10-31 7. [Smithsonian Magazine, Why is the Year of the Dragon considered so lucky? 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[Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Superstitions on Tiger or Dragon year babies won’t disappear](https://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/gia/article/superstitions-on-tiger-or-dragon-year-babies-won-t-disappear-but-they-will-evolve) — accessed 2026-10-31 13. [National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2011 (births)](https://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/201201/t20120120_72112.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 14. [National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2012 (births)](https://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/201302/t20130222_72261.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 15. [National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2013 (births)](https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202302/t20230203_1898455.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 16. [National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2023 (births)](https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202402/t20240228_1947915.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 ## Related - https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-zodiac - https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-zodiac/monkey - https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-zodiac/rat --- Canonical page: https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-zodiac/dragon